Always
by ERiN OPPEL
Summary: Turbo wakes up one morning with memory loss and a very pleasant surprise.


**And Rich Moore said, "Let there be more Turbo fanwork." ...No, seriously, that's what he said. Look it up.**

**So then here is another Turbo shipping oneshot. This one isn't related to the other Turboxolder!Taffyta fic I made, even if it seems like it could be. It is a lot fluffier though. Once again, it takes place before the movie and it's AU so that Taffyta is an adult.**

**Special thanks to Aurora West for encouraging me!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything, but this is what would happen if I did…**

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Always

_By ERiN OPPEL_

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The throbbing pain in Turbo's head must've woken him up; his brain felt like it was going to rupture. With a groan, he rubbed the front of his helmet, cleverly disguised by "King Candy's" bare cranium. He slowly shifted into a sitting position, recognizing the silky sheets of his royal bed that assured him he was in his royal chamber and not crippled from some racing accident.

Turbo groggily opened his eyes a sliver, then shut them tight again and sucked in his breath. The light in his room felt blinding. What the fondue was wrong with him? After a few seconds of adjusting, he slowly scanned his room and tried to recall when and how he went to sleep the previous night. His blurry vision rested with surprise on a figure in his small, velvet cake armchair beside his bed.

Blinking his eyes until the person was a little bit clearer, he saw that it was Taffyta. She was curled up with her head on her hands resting on one arm of the chair, while her legs were tucked in with her feet propped up on the other arm. Her dark magenta jacket was draped over her shoulders and her strawberry cap sat on top of the chair.

He smiled, taking in the features of her face: calm, thick eyelashes brushing the soft pinks of her cheekbones, and lips as glossy as a Jolly Rancher—and possibly just as sweet, he imagined.

While he was delighted to see her, he realized he never thought to question why she was even there in the first place. "Taffyta?" he rasped, then cleared his parched throat and tried again. "Taffyta? Oh, miss Muttonfudge?"

The young adult stirred, letting out a sigh. Her periwinkle eyes fluttered open. Taffyta pulled away from her dreamy state as she sat up with a stretch and tranquil yawn.

Turbo felt a tickle in his stomach at seeing her curvaceous form, lit from behind by the sunlight beaming through his window. Despite having the same standard body type as the other female racers, Taffyta was by far the most attractive. How he wished he could hold her… He promptly banished his thoughts before they became too tempting.

Taffyta relaxed her arms and leaned back in the chair. She smiled at him and said, "Good morning, your Majesty. Feeling any better?"

It took a second before her question registered. "Ugh, I don't think so," he replied, cradling his head in his hands. "I have a splitting migraine..."

"Here, drink some milk."

Turbo looked up and saw her hand him a glass from his night table that he didn't notice was there. Gratefully he took it, almost flinching when his fingers came in contact with hers. After a cautious sip, he downed the glass with several gulps. "Thanks," he panted, giving it back to her.

She set it down and ran a gloved hand through her sleek blond hair. "What a night, huh?"

He blinked, racking his brain in confusion. "I wouldn't know. I can't seem to remember anything that happened last night," he confessed.

Taffyta let out a giggle. "That's because we all went out for drinks at Tapper's."

Turbo whipped his head at her too quickly, wincing as a flash of pain shot through it. "We did?" he muttered, trying to hide his nervousness. A fine time for a hangover, he thought wryly.

Taffyta listed her head curiously. "You really don't remember?" she asked.

Turbo squinted in concentration, but his mind felt fuzzy and dark. The king shook his head regrettably.

"Well," Taffyta began, crossing her legs to sit more comfortably, "yesterday was the 10th anniversary of our game, and you suggested we all go celebrate at Tapper's. So you, me, and the other racers went to the bar and had a few beers." She smirked playfully. "Or in your case, quite a few more."

Turbo giggled nervously, fiddling his hands. Sweet cookies, had he done something embarrassing? He sure hoped he hadn't tried to dance or pick a fight with someone or—programmers forbid—_kiss_ Taffyta.

His thoughts were interrupted as she went on, "Anyway, the other racers soon left, but I stayed behind to make sure you could still get home. I know how much you like to drive, but I had to tie your kart to mine so I could tow you back." She lowered her head and rubbed her arm, looking up at him with innocent eyes. "You're not upset, are you?"

Turbo chuckled in relief and waved his hand. "Hoo-hoo, not at all, my dear. I appreciate you looking out for me," he told her sincerely. If anything, it made him even more fond of her.

She beamed. "It's my pleasure, King Candy."

Turbo relaxed against his bed frame. That was it? So he just got drunk and couldn't drive home. Not as bad as he thought. "Well, if that's all that happened…"

"Actually, you were acting pretty funny."

His smile was replaced by more worry. "What?" He _knew_ he did something embarrassing.

"I mean, not the stupid kind of funny, like how Candlehead gets clumsy or how Jubileena gets super hyper," she clarified. "But when you were—ahem, under the influence, you were talking about things I didn't understand."

"How so?"

Taffyta looked at him quizzically. "You said stuff like 'I'll show that cursed road blasters who's the best', and asked where the twins were. And…" She paused to tap her lip thoughtfully. "What was it you kept repeating? Sounded like 'turbo-tastic' or something. Anyway, it was so strange. I've never seen anyone act like that; it's like you were a completely different person."

This. This was so much worse than he had imagined. Turbo gulped, but did his best not to appear alarmed. "Why, you're right. That _is_ strange. I'm afraid I don't know what that's all about either," he lied statically, wanting to throttle himself.

How could he have been so careless? He was smart enough to know that it was dangerous to visit other games where someone could find out about him or Vanellope, and yet he still took that risk. Going to bars and getting drunk, what was he thinking?

Subtly wiping his sweaty hands on his bed, he asked the question he feared the most, "Um, did anyone else happen to hear me?"

She shook her head, much to his relief. "I don't think so, we were in the back of the bar and there were hardly any customers at that hour. And we didn't pass by anyone on our way back to the castle." Taffyta held up her hands as she added, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Unless you think it's serious…"

"A programming error is all it is, I'm sure," Turbo dismissed quickly as he straightened his bowtie. There. That should cover it.

Taffyta shrugged, seemingly convinced. "If you say so, your Majesty."

"Of course I do, I'm the king!" he insisted. "Whatever I said before was pure nonsense." At least he hadn't mentioned anything that would give away his deception. Hoping she would stop talking about the incident, he asked, "But that begs the question, what are _you_ doing here?"

Taffyta glanced down at her gloves, perhaps from sudden shyness. "After I brought you up to your room, I was about to leave when you grabbed my hand and said…" She furrowed her brows in thought, almost looking perplexed. "You said, 'please don't abandon me'."

Turbo widened his eyes slightly, his breath catching. Slowly he broke his gaze in contemplation. "Gee, did I really say that?" he murmured to himself after a moment.

Taffyta had stayed with him? Sleeping in the chair the whole night? She could've left when he had fallen asleep, but she didn't. She wanted to stay. He didn't think he could count on anyone, after what happened to him in the past. But now his heart swelled at knowing there was someone he could trust, someone he could reveal his insecurities to. Heat rose in his cheeks until he was sure they matched the pink sheets he was staring at. He faced her and said quietly, "Thank you, Taffyta."

She gave him another dizzying smile. "Always, King Candy."

Part of him wanted to say something, maybe about how much he loved her. The other part wanted to slap him for being so vulnerable, so he settled for silence instead. After a few pleasant seconds passed between them, Turbo cleared his throat and turned his attention to his clock. "Well, it looks like it's almost time for work. The arcade will open soon."

Taffyta stood up, frowning in concern. "Are you sure you'll be able to race today?"

"Of course," Turbo replied casually, swinging his legs over the bed and forcing himself to get up without collapsing. His head started pounding again, but he ignored it. "I've still got my strength, hoo-hoo," he assured her.

Taffyta grinned and put on her jacket, then scooped up her hat and placed it snuggly over her hair. "Ok. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Although he would've loved her company for a lot longer, he replied, "No thank you, I'm fine. You'd better get yourself ready." A thought occurred to him and, since he certainly didn't want anyone spreading rumors about them, he added, "If you want, you can leave through the back exit. Someone might get the wrong idea if they see you coming out of the king's quarters at dawn." Instantly, he regretted his choice of words and mentally kicked himself for suggesting that someone would even think of them that way. He must've sounded so creepy.

A deep blush crept up on Taffyta's face, but she didn't seem at all embarrassed. In fact, he could've sworn her eyes glinted with amusement. "That's all right. I don't care what they think," she simply said.

"You don't?"

"If they jump to conclusions, that's their fault. They really should mind their own business, anyway." She curtseyed politely and made her way to the door. "See you later, King Candy."

Phew, that was a relief. He raised a finger for a final request. "Oh, and Taffyta?"

With one hand on the knob, she turned around. "Yes?"

"Make sure I never drink so much again."

The blond racer chuckled. "I will." Her gaze lingered for a moment before departing and closing the door.

Turbo laid back down on his bed with a sigh. His secret was still safe. Not only that, but his feelings for Taffyta were stronger than ever, now that she proved her loyalty to him.

Maybe she even loved him?

The wistful thought spun around his mind and he closed his drowsy eyes. "Hoo-hoo. Maybe we'll see."

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**Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review!**


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